IT WAS a day of surprises at Villa Park, yet not in the way some had predicted.

Gil de Pareja Vicent score on debut for Villa to see off Championship leaders Bournemouth

The visit of Bournemouth, the Championship leaders and highest scorers in all four divisions, to a confidence-shy Aston Villa side struggling for goals had been earmarked on this weekend of FA Cup shocks as another Cup tie with upset potential.

It was not to be.

And there in lay surprise number one: Two Villa goals - only the third time this season they have managed such a feat - as Carles Gil, making his full debut, and Andreas Weimann's second-half strikes booked their place in round five.

Even more of a bombshell came before kick-off, however, when England midfielder Fabian Delph - a free agent in the summer and expected to leave amid interest from Liverpool and Tottenham - announced on the big screen that he had signed a new four-and-a-half year deal.

Delph has agreed a new £55,000-a-week contract, with Lambert revealing he first became aware of positive indications from the player "two or three weeks ago".

All in all, a perfect day for Paul Lambert.

The Villa manager said: "They were two unbelievable goals, the first was world class from a real talent and the second was great timing from Weimann.

"I'm pretty sure not many people saw the Fabian news coming. It would take millions to replace him and we obviously we can't do it.

"The chairman and Tom Fox deserve credit. A lot of work went into it. It is great news for us."

Delph missed the match with an Achilles problem - Villa hope he will be fit to face Arsenal on Sunday - but was paraded to the crowd at half-time.

Lambert also insisted there was "no chance" of him being sold this summer.

A Villa triumph had looked far from certain on the evidence of the opening 45 minutes - despite the fact Villa were facing a Bournemouth side with eight changes.

Weimann could count himself unlucky to see a bullet header flash agonisingly beyond the post, yet it was otherwise the Cherries who created the better openings.

We went toe to toe with an established Premier League club at their own ground and did not deviate from our principles

Eddie Howe

But for the diligence of Kieran Richardson, Villa would have found themselves behind after Shaun MacDonald latched onto a Harry Arter ball and rounded Shay Given before firing goalwards, only for the former Fulham player to clear off the line.

Donegal-born Given then demonstrated that even at the age of 38 his reflexes remain as sharp as ever as he got down quickly to palm away Eunan O'Kane's drilled strike destined for the bottom corner.

Yet the tension around Villa Park was lifted six minutes after the restart with a moment of sublime brilliance from Gil, signed this month for £3.2m from Valencia.

Little appeared on as picked up possession wide on the right, yet the diminutive Spaniard jinked his way inside before bending an inch-perfect arcing shot into the top-left corner.

Goal of the round? Few will have bettered it, certainly.

It was only the second goal Villa have scored in 663 minutes of competitive action - the other coming in the previous round from Christian Benteke to sink Blackpool.

Villa relaxed and served up some good football - as their second goal demonstrated.

Leandro Bacuna's lofted pass set Alan Hutton away down the right and his cutback was crisply converted with a first-time sidefoot by Weimann.

Substitute Callum Wilson gave the Cherries hope with a 90th-minute strike, converting Adam Smith's cross from close range. It was, however, too little, too late.

Manager Eddie Howe said: "We went toe to toe with an established Premier League club at their own ground and did not deviate from our principles."

"If we had scored 10 minutes earlier it could have been a real nervy finish."